A FORMER member of the defunct Western House of Assembly in the First Republic, Olusola Alaba, on Friday denied the N1.4million fraud charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 88-year-old man, who is charged with obtaining money by false pretence and forgery, before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos made the denial while testifying before the court.
The octogenarian is alleged to have defrauded one Mrs Olutoyin Ogundipe of N1.4 million on June 20, 2011.
He was also accused of forging two international passports and a drivers’ licence to facilitate the fraud.
But in his evidence led by his counsel, Mr Olawale Kareem, he told the court that he knew nothing about the alleged scam.
The defendant said he had never met Ogundipe and had no GTB account in the name of Babatunde Savage, where the money was allegedly lodged.
“I am too old to open an account. If I get little money, I put it in the house,” he said.
He also denied forging the international passports and drivers’ licence.
“I am a politician and people are always coming to my house. Anybody could have taken my passport photograph from the house,” Alaba said.
The octogenarian accused EFCC operatives of stealing N40, 000 from his apartment, while executing their search warrant.
“I was detained inside the car by one Jimoh. They went inside the house and spent sometime there.
“They took N40, 000 that I used to feed. It is after they left that I went inside. They did not show me anything,” he said.
Alaba appealed to the court to discharge and acquit him of the charge.
Justice Lateefat has adjourned till December 17 for parties to adopt their final addresses
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